MATT BELAIR dedicates his life to passing on the skills and knowledge he has gained to others. A passionate snowboarder, martial arts enthusiast and boxer he is committed to teaching others and helping them learn life skills that will see them grow as individuals.

In this interview he talks about life experiences including training with the 34th generation Shaolin monks in China, being the main sparring partner for professional MMA fighter and One FC athlete ‘Ruthless’ Rob Lisita in Thailand and his work with author and life coach Michael Losier.

Where did you grow up and how did the surroundings and people you were with influence the person you’ve become today?

I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario Canada and my biggest influences were my friends and family. I was always naturally drawn to athletics, martial arts and the power of the mind and I was able to express that in my youth. Although I didn’t take sports seriously other than skateboarding my family gave me freedom and love and that’s all you can ask for.

Could you give us some background in your achievements in martial arts? What made you take them up and what effect have they had on your life?

I’ve been drawn to martial arts ever since I was a kid and the practice has shaped who I am dramatically. Bruce Lee has been my biggest influence and I have studied his life and work extensively, most people don’t know he studied philosophy at the university of Washington. Martial arts teaches you many things such as self discipline, respect, concentration, tenacity, grit, self expression and more. The practice of martial arts is ultimately the practice of self expression and using it as a tool to become the best you can be and Bruce always taught that.

Although I have only competed on an amateur level in a few disciplines my biggest achievements in martial arts would be enduring the training of 34th generation Shaolin monks in China, holding my own in sparring sessions and becoming the main sparring partner for professional MMA fighter and One FC athlete ‘Ruthless’ Rob Lisita in Thailand, and coaching youth boxing in Whistler, Canada.

When did you take up snowboarding and what have some of your successes in the sport been? How does it feel to now be able to teach and pass your skills on to others?

I began snowboarding at 13 and didn’t really elevate my game until I moved to Whistler when I was 21. I spent eight seasons there snowboarding over 100 days a year and loved life!

I didn’t really achieve anything too spectacular on a personal level other than winning some small contests, I achieved much more on a coaching level. I got flown around the world to coach snowboarding including being the head coach and director of camps at Snow Park New Zealand and have had the honour of coaching some incredible athletes along the way including pros and national team riders.

There aren’t many better feelings in this life than to coach athletes and see the joy and excitement they have when they learn a new trick and grow as an athlete. I love the energy, excitement and enthusiasm snowboarding brings out in people.

Please tell us about your greatest sporting achievement to date?

I never gravitated toward competition, each sport was more about going out and enjoying without an outcome so most of my accomplishments are for myself. So in that regard, for me, my biggest sporting accomplishments are landing a 900 in the Whistler Black park, winning an underground boxing match in Nicaragua, and all of the training I have done with pro MMA athletes in Thailand and Shaolin Kung Fu masters in China.

You enjoy sharing your knowledge with others which has seen you become a life coach and teacher. Who do you reach out to and what’s the core message you try to get through to them?

My goal is to reach out to young athletes because there is so much you can learn from athletics but as of yet there are limited coaches in snowboarding, skateboarding, and extreme sports.

The power of the mind is everything, your perspective is everything and using the connection we have over extreme sports, fear, progression and self expression it’s easy to teach them about mind power and beyond. My core message is belief in yourself, love for yourself and others, and always choosing the best perspective and feeling in each situation so you can become the greatest athlete and person possible.

You learned a lot of what you teach under Michael Losier. Could you tell us some more about the man and the lessons he’s taught you about life?

Michael is a great guy with a huge heart and I’ll always be grateful to him. To this day he is by far the best teacher on the subject of manifestation I have ever come across, I highly recommend everyone check out his book and awesome free coaching series at www.hangoutwithmichael.com.

Michael is a bit more practical than I am, my head head seems to be in an alternate universe most of the time and he’s a bit more grounded. He’s taught me many things and the most valuable has been how to be an amazing coach and trainer. He taught me how to communicate knowledge so that the student will be able to understand, absorb and apply the information quickly and easily, which has been essential to my vision.

What exciting plans do you have for the rest of 2015 and beyond?

2015 is going to be one hell of a ride! I’ve spend the last 15 years, reading, researching and experimenting to be where I am now. I am completely focused with sharing the invaluable lessons I’ve learned from my experiences, travels, and trials and errors.

I have just finished a book and in depth program on mental training for extreme sports athletes that is unlike anything out there at the moment. The website is called Zen Athlete and I will be making sister sites and programs to provide specific training for snowboarders, skateboarders, skiers and eventually beyond. The mental game is the biggest contributing factor to your success and safety in extreme sports and it’s paramount you learn how to master it!

Once the program is out and the sites are up I will be finally completing my instructional snowboard site www.snowboardacademy.com and will ultimately work toward my end goal, which is writing a book for youth and creating an educational platform that teaches teens and young adults everything they need to know about mind power, self worth, trusting themselves, meditation, self reflection, how to uncover and achieve their dream and more! You know all the stuff our current educations system doesn’t value. Basically I want to empower youth with everything they need to know so they can live fulfilling lives of love, peace, wisdom and joy!

Thanks for having me! May love, peace, passion and joy fill your life!